No One Else Can Save Me But You
by Keller-Bloom
Summary: Follow up to "Love Taught Me To Lie" written between MyraJay and KellerBloom, romance DMGW. Unfinished.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Her laugh was the first thing he missed about her. She didn't laugh in the corridors any more; she hardly even smiled, especially not at him. He struggled, fighting with himself, knowing that he had to do it, and wishing that he didn't. But it had been done now, it was too late she was gone, and Draco hated it.

Draco glanced down at his arm and despised what he saw; he hated what it made him. Potter's suspicions were now proved correct, and Draco hated giving him the satisfaction of being right. He was, after all, evil now. It was marked.

When he looked at the disfigurement that now consumed his left arm, he did not see the gravity of the Dark Lord's power, he did not see the overbearing conceit of his father. He saw his incarceration, keeping him from the one thing he wanted more than anything else in this world, Ginny.

Breaking up with her was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He had endure the Craticus curse during his initiation to the dark ranks, he had been branded with magic so painful that it had made grown men scream, but nothing, _nothing_ hurt more than having to deny his feelings to her face. That day was as tattooed onto his memory as the Dark Mark was into his skin. The memory of her beautiful brown eyes filling with tears haunted his waking thoughts, and he would have given up everything to take back the words he said; given anything to have turned up that night.

It was there first meeting since Christmas Ginny had it all planned. The shrieking shack (the usual place for there rendezvous) had been transformed. Ginny had spent hours painstakingly turning the abandoned shell of a house into a romantic hideaway. Tonight would be the night that they would… well, see how things went. Ginny was nervous but excited, and wanted everything to be perfect. Dozens of candles had been strategically placed around the room; she surveyed her handy work and was pleased with her efforts. She had mixed large, white, vanilla scented church candles with tiny dazzling tea-lights, and had placed a spell over them so they would not be extinguished by the cold breeze that whistled through the house. She stood then in the centre of the room bathed in soft candle light, nervously wringing her hands, waiting patiently for Draco to arrive. She had sent him an owl that morning, and had seen him receive it during breakfast. She had told him to meet her in the shack at midnight, she had said that as it was a Friday night nobody would miss them and it would be safe to sneak back into the school that night, or the next morning. Ginny smiled as she recalled the note shocked at her own daring for putting those words. She smiled even more when she remembered the look on Draco's face as she had watched him read them. There was a deep flash of desire that spread through his expression and Ginny could have sword that she saw his breathing quicken. She dared a glance at him and caught his eye. He raised his eyebrow and the note at her letting a small smile drift across his lips. Ginny bit her bottom lip and blushed slightly, but kept his gaze seductively.

Ginny was still waiting, and nervously began to smooth down her new robes every time she heard a slight noise. She had been saving up for new dress robes for about a year now, but since there didn't seemed to be any balls coming up anytime soon she had decided to buy something special for this evening. She had settled on a dark blue muggle dress, which she had bought when she went to visit Hermione during the Christmas holidays. It was made of velvet, and fitted her beautifully, flattering her curves nicely and complimenting her fair skin.

She glanced again at her watch and became concerned. It was half past twelve; he had never been this late before. As the clock slowly ticked round to one o'clock she began to worry that something terrible may have happened to him. By two o'clock she began to extinguish the candles, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

The next day she tried to find him, anxious to know where he was last night. The school corridors were virtually deserted as there was a Hogsmead's visit that day, but still she could not find him. She searched the Great Hall at meal times, but still no Draco, now she was really beginning to worry. As Ginny was leaving the Hall from dinner, she noticed the Main Entrance door opening and in stepped Draco, broom over his shoulder staggering in from the cold wet weather. Ginny rushed over to him, and it took all of her self control not to throw her arms around him as he walked towards the stair cases.

"Draco! Where have you been?" she whispered at him as she grabbed his retreating arm and forced him to look at her. Draco paused for a moment and coolly turned his head to look at the hand that was currently holding onto his arm. He looked up into her face, those big brown eyes and said,

"Do you want to remove your hand from me Weasel, or shall I do it for you?"

Ginny gasped, unable to think. She scanned the area and found that there was no one else around, no one else to pretend that nothing was going on. She was puzzled,

"Draco," she exclaimed, "what's going on?"

Draco smiled, a small and vicious smile,

"Well," he whispered "Did you really think that I would …lower myself for you!" he spat "You were nothing but a tool for me to play with, why would I dirty myself on you?"

He watched as her mouth opened and closed several times, almost as if the words were there but they would not form themselves. Instead of cursing him, instead of swearing at him, she did something worse. He had to watch as her beautiful eyes filled with bitter tears, a single tear rolled down her cheek as she turned gracefully around, composed herself for a second and then walked away slowly in complete silence. That memory of her turning her back on him had haunted him for the past month now. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep and all he could think about was her. But she was no longer his, and he would have to live with that.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Draco attended breakfast as he usually did, ate what he usually ate, spoke to who he usually spoke to, and basically carried on his life like it was back to how it was before her. He was doing a good imitation that his life had not changed in the slightest. He of course knew it was all an act, but he was being especially careful to be the cold, stuck up, Slytherin he was reputed to be. He looked around the Great Hall from Hufflepuff to Ravenclaw, and eventually came to Gryffindor where he found his eyes could not help but linger searching the table for her. She was not in her usual seat, and Draco began to wonder if she was at the table at all that morning, but then he heard that distinctive laughter and he knew she was somewhere in the Hall. His eyes quickly scanned the table and eventually located her… she was sat next to Potter! Not only that, but she appeared to be touching his face in what Draco could only see as in a very intimate way. Merlin! They were practically kissing! He felt a sudden rush of intense jealousy, and with one swift movement he pushed his plate forcefully to the other side of the table and stood heaving with anger. Only once he had stood there watching the two of them for a moment did he notice that the entire Slytherin table had stopped doing whatever they were doing and were now staring at him incredulously. He paused for a moment, looked around at his housemates and said,

"The standard of house elves must be falling if they are serving us this tripe." A few of his Slytherin friends nodded enthusiastically and before anyone thought to question him he stormed away from the table and out of the Hall.

Few Gryffindors seemed to notice the commotion coming from the Slytherin table, most, like Ginny, were too busy recovering from the earlier surprise that morning.

Ron's face was still stuck in an expression of horror and shock, and Hermione had a smug smile implanted on her face as if she knew what was going to happen all along. Ginny moved slightly away from her close proximity to Harry and smiled sweetly at him.

"Is that better?" she asked,

A rather flustered and red faced Harry replied,

"Yeah, much."

A puzzled looking Ron, who still looked as if he hadn't fully comprehended the situation, leaned over to the couple and asked,

"What exactly just happened?"

"Well," Said Hermione, who had jumped into the conversation before either Harry or Ginny could open their mouths. "I think that's rather obvious don't you Ron? Or if not then I think this letter may shed some light on it." Hermione handed him a rather singed and tatty piece of paper.

"The Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," read Ron "are proud to present The Amazing Exploding Envelopes, for letters that are bound to get you noticed! From Fred and George!"  
"Really!" exclaimed Hermione giving Ron a stern look, "I told you not to open that envelope! Could you not tell by the burning smell that it was potentially dangerous?"

"Oh come on!" said Ron, "I mean it didn't do that much harm did it!"

"Only almost blinded Harry!" said Ginny.

"I wouldn't go that far! He only had a piece of paper in his eye Gin." Stated Ron, but then turned to Harry apologetically. "Sorry mate." He said.

"No problem, it's gone now thanks to Ginny."

"Honestly Ron," said an exasperated Hermione, "you really must learn to look at your mail closely before opening it! Especially with those brothers of yours!"

Ginny could sense another long Ron and Hermione argument, and had no wish to stay around and hear it, so she made her excuses and left the breakfast table.

Ginny walked down the corridor which led from the Great Hall to the portrait of the fat lady, feeling more cheerful than she had for almost a month now. For one moment back there she had completely forgotten about Malfoy and everything that had happened between them. She smiled to her self at the memory of her brother antics, trust Fred and George to send something potentially lethal to Ron of all people! At that moment a firm hand gripped her arm and yanked her into a deserted corridor. She turned angrily and forcefully confronted the person whose vice like grip was slowly cutting the circulation off in her arm.

"Malfoy, what do you want?" she sneered.

"What do I want? What do you want more like!"

"What?" cried a slightly confused Ginny,

"I saw you with Potter!" he spat the name like it was a swear word, "Yeah I saw you, what is going on between you two?"

A furious Ginny stared at him and eventually replied coolly,

"And what the Hell business is it to do with you!"

Draco, taken aback from her calm expression immediately thought that because she was being so cool about it that he must have guessed correctly. Ginny, _HIS_ Ginny was shacked up with Potter. The very thought of that boys hands caressing Ginny in some kind of inexperienced fumble made Draco sick to the stomach. Ginny, however, was wondering how long she would have to stand there with Draco's hand still clamped to her arm while he apparently fought with his inner demons. She looked down at her arm saw the flesh that was surrounding those slim pale fingers was now red raw.

"Are you going to remove your hand from me Malfoy, or shall I do it for you?"

Draco, winced internally at hearing the repetition of his own words and slowly released the grip from her slender arm, and took a shaky step back from her. As soon as his grip had been removed from her Ginny immediately turned round and made her way back to the common room. Draco instantly followed her and call to her retreating form,

"Where are you going?" Ginny paused mid-step and casually looked over her shoulder,

"Probably more to the point would be where were you a month ago Draco! So right now I am going to my common room." She gave him a small yet somewhat empty smile and said,

"Good morning." And with a flick of her hair she disappeared around the corner and into the Gryffindor common room.

Draco, unable to move stood like a petrified rabbit until he hear a familiar voice. He shifted his eyes and saw the pug face of Pansy Parkinson staring at him expectantly.

"Oh," he spoke shakily, "hi Pansy. How long have you been stood there?"

"About two minutes." She replied smugly.

Draco, slowly comprehending what that must have meant, could think of nothing else to say but,

"Come on Parkinson, we're late." And with that he marched away from the corridor and down to the dungeons.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ginny had a secret smile on her face for the rest of the day after that showing from Draco. She could not help but think if she was not good enough for him then why is he acting that way. Why would he care if she was with Harry? If he could make her feel bad she saw no reason why she couldn't have a bit of fun at his expense. The only problem would be to try and make Harry play along. Although Harry would jump at the chance to wind up Draco she would have to tell him everything and that was not something Ginny particularly wanted to do. After sitting through a double History of Magic lesson thinking about how she could make her plan work the very simple answer hit her. Draco got jealous of her and Harry when nothing was happening so if she just kept him thinking that something was, she was sure it would have the same effect.

Later that day at dinner Ginny was going to make a conscious effect to sit near to Harry, but when it came to it, it seemed that fate was on her side as the only available seat was next to Harry. Ginny approached the table and said,

"Hey guys, do you mind if I sit here?"

Ron looks up and down the table and said,

"It does not look like we have much choice" Hermione punched Ron's arm

"Hey what that for?" he cried,

"That was not called for Ron and don't talk with your mouth full!"

Ron took another bite

"It does not look like you have much choice! Anyway she knows I was joking, don't you Gin?"

Ginny was already sitting by this time and grinned at her brother who winked at her before turning to listen to what Hermione was talking about more carefully. Ginny loved watching her closest big brother when he was around Hermione and they were talking. You feel as if you are being allowed into a secret world just occupied by them and you were witnessing something very real.

Ginny secretly scanned the Slytherin table and saw that Draco was already seated. Her heart gave an unaccustomed jerk as he saw that Parkinson was sitting next to him and flirting with him rather obviously. But then Draco had always told her that he would rather kiss Snape than kiss her so it gave Ginny some savage satisfaction that she was seated there.

"Let him suffer as much as possible." She told herself.

She watched him silently for a while and intuitively knew that he would look over at her soon enough. He did, of course.

"That boy can be so predictable." She thought.

As soon as he looked over she immediately leaned over Harry to grab the salt. As she brought it to her seat she 'accidentally' dropped it in Harry's lap.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry Harry!" she exclaimed and she leant down into his lap to retrieve the salt shaker. Ginny couldn't help but snigger at the thought of Draco's face when she remerged. As it happened something better than she could have imagined occurred. As Ginny was remerging from between Harry's legs Dean Thomas was squeezing past Harry's chair in order to talk to Lavender who was sat a few chairs down from him. As a result Harry got pushed forward and met Ginny as she was standing from her little salt escapade. The two of them collided with each other and Harry being the heavier of the two ended up pinning Ginny beneath him on top of the Gryffindor table.

Both Harry and Ginny were blushing as Harry scrambled back to his feet while Ginny still lay on the table in shock more than anything.

"Hey Dean!" yelled Harry down the table, "Mind where you're going next time!" Dean mumbled his apologize as Harry helped Ginny to her feet and asked if she was okay.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks." She replied and was thoroughly content when she noted how Harry was still holding her hand and how out of the corner of her eye she could see Draco leaving the Great Hall in a mad rage. He paused before he exited the door and took one final angry glance at the Gryffindor table before furiously storming back to the Slytherin common room.

Ginny laughed triumphantly to her self,

"Definitely a dinner time to remember!" she thought.

Later Ginny was sitting in the Gryffindor common room doing her potions essay which she was disparately behind in. She wondered which of her parents was the one that she, Ron and Bill took after and who Percy and Charlie did. She decided that the twins were abnormality which neither of her parents would like to claim took after them! As she sat there contemplating the gene pool of her family she felt the couch she was sitting on sag and she looked up to saw who had joined her. Ron sat there with what could only be described as one of the most dopiness grins her family could ever muster. She set down her quill down as she knew by the look in his eye that this was not doing to be quick. Once she did this Ron started blurting everything out, Ginny could catch very little of it. But she differently caught the last bit,

"And she likes me! Hermione, that creature sent from heaven likes me!"

As soon as these words left his mouth Ron was up and bouncing up the stairs to his dorm. Ginny sat there with an astonished look on her face. Her eye meet Harry's, he smile and approached her.

"Ron was, well, eves dropping in the girl's room with one for your brothers' extendable ears to hear who the girls liked" Ginny gave him a look to disapproval "Hey, it had nothing to do with me! It was all Seamus's idea! Anyway they were talking the normal rubbish you would have expected and then Lavender starting teasing Hermione, saying things like we all know who you like and stuff, and then they all started saying Ron's name. I tell you the look on your brother's face was priceless." He paused while Ginny giggled and he smiled even more,

"I really have to wonder if it took that long and something that obvious for him to final realise that Hermione liked him, how he copes in everyday life! Like crossing the road? Does he see the cars or is it pure luck that he is still alive?"

Ginny laughed.

Elsewhere in the world someone else was laughing, but not a contented happy laugh, it was a cruel, savage laugh. It suited the owner well, it suited those horrible red slits for eyes, it matched his scarred and snake like face. Somewhere far from Hogwarts Voldemort was laughing, laughing at the small figure twitching with pain on the floor as he once again called for the Craticus to be used.

"Enough! Enough!" called the still laughing Voldemort after a moment. "Enough! I have seen enough." The spell ceased and the figure on the floor stood shakily and was soon supported by the death eater who had been administering the spell.

"Well done Lucius," spoke The Dark Lord, "I believe you have truly proven yourself as a trusted servant."

"Thank you my Lord." Spoke the eldest Malfoy, still supporting the victim of his crippling spell. Under his mask, and supported by his father Draco shook with pain, this time had been worse than his initiation, never had he been subjected to the Crucio for such a prolonged amount of time. His whole body felt as if it did not belong to him, and he had never experience that amount of burning pain before. But still, at least he hadn't screamed, that at least should please his father and his so-called master.

Back in the Gryffindor common room Ginny's laughter was cut short by a cry of pain from Harry.

"What is it?" she asked concerned.

"My scar… its….burning…. I think…. I think he's happy."

There was no need to explain to Ginny who 'he' was and suddenly she felt extremely worried for Draco. How long would it be until he had to be part of those awful summonings, how long could he put off being marked himself? How long could he fight his father? How long could he defy him?

A thought struck her then; what if he was already was marked? What if that had already happened? Might that explain his erratic behaviour, the break up, and the horribleness? But surely he would have known that he could have told her that it had happened. Hadn't she made it clear that despite what his father wanted of him she knew he was a good person inside? These questions and more were swimming around in her head for the rest of the evening. She left Harry having found no answers, and slowly left to go to bed extremely confused.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N- This chapter is dedicated to our reviewer Dweeb, you don't know what it means to us! With repects MyraJay and Keller Bloom, we hope you enjoy this one._

Chapter 4 

The next day Ginny was resolved, she was going to speak to Draco and she was going to find out what was going on. At every opportunity she was looking for him and hoping that she could pull him away from what he was doing, however none arose. In fact she did not see him at all. It was not until she was leaving dinner did she spot him walking slowly to the Slytherin common room did she get her chance. Running at full speed she run to him she grabbed his arm and dragged him in to an empty classroom. Draco did not know what was happening but he had neither the strength nor the energy to fight back because of the punishment his body experienced last night. Only once inside the classroom did Draco see his kidnapper.

"What the hell are you doing Ginny?"

"What the hell am I doing? What about you?" Ginny shoved Draco to highlight her point farther.

Draco surprised by this response wondered what she could have meant. The confusion was written all over Draco face. Ginny really did not want to have to say the words herself but Draco just didn't seem to be getting there.

"Oh for heavens sake Draco, I know you have been marked" Ginny shoved him again, trying to express her anger and hurt anyway she could, she did not notice Draco wincing as she touched him.

"How could you do that? You promised! Why... Why?" By now Ginny's anger had almost completely subsided and she was on the verge of tears.

Draco stood in the dark and watched the girl he loved crumble in front of his eyes.

"How did you know?" He asked.

Ginny looked up at him, "How could you think that I wouldn't?"

Draco sighed,

"I couldn't tell you."

"Why! Why couldn't you tell me? You said that you would fight him! But I said, didn't I, that it didn't matter to me! I know you are a good person, I loved you didn't I! How could I love an evil person? How could I love a _real_ Death Eater!"

"That's why I couldn't tell you!" yelled Draco, summoning as much strength as he could from his weakened body. "I couldn't tell you," he continued, "because I failed you! I gave in to my father so easily!" he paused for breath and attempted to create some space between himself and the crying red head who he loved more than anything else in this world. It would be easier if she wasn't so close; it would be easier if he couldn't smell that luscious red hair from where he was stood, it would be better if he couldn't almost taste those tears that had escaped from her beautiful brown eyes and were now rolling down her flushed cheeks. It would be better for them both if he could find the strength to push her away, but right now, he found only pain. Pain for himself and the pain that was radiating off Ginny as she tried in vain to find her own strength and stop crying.

"Why did you push me away?" she asked him in a shaky voice. He sighed again and dejectedly said,

"Because I am a real death eater now Ginny." He rolled up his left sleeve and produced his most hated disfigurement. As she stared at his mark he looked away not wanting to see her disappointment or her repulsion at his ugly scar.

Ginny felt neither disappointed nor repulsed, she simply wanted what they had had before this mark had come between them. She reached up and touched his face softly with her hand, she wanted him to look at her and see that it was alright, that she still loved him despite his mark. She was surprised when he flinched as her hand softly touched his skin.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hoping above hope that it wasn't because he no longer loved her.

"Nothing." He replied, a little too quickly to be believed.

"No really what is it?" she repeated, this time putting her hand on his arm. Again he flinched and she saw the expression on his face more clearly.

"You're in pain!" she stated shocked, "Why are you in pain!" she demanded.

Draco, not wanting to have to explain the humiliation nor the pain he had endured last night, thought quickly and grudgingly answered her,

"Seeing you with Potter, it's like a knife in the back."

"Don't try and change the subject, it's got nothing to do with Harry and me. You are in physical pain!"

"Oh so it's Harry and me now is it! Well I hope you're bloody happy together. You're a fine one to go on about what I said, what about you! You told me you weren't in love with him anymore and then the moment I'm out of the picture you're all over him. It's pathetic." He looked at her earnestly, "I mean did you ever love me? Or was it all an act to get over Potter?"

Ginny stood back from him seeing that trying to get the truth from him was almost impossible.

"Do you think that if I never loved you that I'd be here at all, never mind making such a spectacle of myself with all the tears!" she paused, "I fancied Harry when I was eleven, I am now sixteen Draco, do you still fancy the people you liked in your first year? I doubt it. There is absolutely nothing going on between us."

Draco snorted in disbelief,

"It didn't bloody look like it."

Ginny smiled,

"Yes well, perhaps some of your Slytherin ways are beginning to rub off on me." he looked puzzled so she went on,

"I staged all that to see if you would get jealous! Obviously it worked."

Draco could not help but smile at her; he reached up and pushed a bit of run away hair behind her ear and the moved his hand to wipe away some remaining tears on her cheek. Ginny put her hand over and closed her eyes, she had missed this, missed him so much. She could not help but saver this moment, she did not know anything but that she wished that it would not end. Pulling herself back to reality she opened her eyes and looked into his eyes, those cool blues eyes which are full of warmth and love.

Gathering herself together Ginny asked,

"Why are you I so much pain?"

Draco signed and shrugged, he didn't want to tell her things he had to go though, he didn't want to tell her how weak he had been.

"Draco please!"

Draco broke their eye contact. Although he did not want to tell her want he had been though he did not want to lose her either. He was torn, his pride would not let him say about the curses he had been though or the physical pan they stilled caused.

Ginny reached up and put her hand over his marked skin,

"Is it something to do with this?"

Draco nodded, that was enough for Ginny, she could not image what he had been though but I some ways she did not want to know either. Ginny raised herself on too her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on Draco's lips. Draco closed his eyes and when Ginny pulled away he draw in his bottom lip and bit down on it to her taste better being a new life to the memory of her. The look on Draco's face looked like she had hurt him, with his eyes closed and his brow farrowed.

"Did I hurt you?" a concerned Ginny asked

Draco shook his head and opened his eye and looked at her directly

"The only thing that hurt was the thought that I had made myself go so long with out you"

Ginny could not help but feel the tears well up in her eyes.

"Is this," tilting her head towards Draco's arm "the reason you did not come that night?"

Draco nodded,

"How could I come to you? I was not, am not good enough to be with you, I failed you!" The last part of this sentence was said with so much feeling that she wanted to hold him like a child that had just woken from a nightmare.

"Draco, nothing, nothing you could do could ever make me believe that you are not good enough for me! I _love_ you"

"What if I hurt you? I _have_ hurt you" He picked up her hand over which they had first grown close over because of cut the owl had caused, he turned it over and looked at the scar it had left. He traced a finger across it. Ginny watch him and looked at his bowed head. She raised her free hand and ran her fingers though his hair. Draco grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a tight embrace before final all his strength was gone. They fell to the floor in each other arms, and as they sat there in each others arms with Draco's head nested in the base of her neck Ginny could hear in the silence Draco quickly whisper.

"I missed you Ginny Weasley".


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Two weeks of bliss. Two glorious weeks of endless paradise. Two weeks that the two of them were uninterrupted, undiscovered, and undeterred in being together and being happy. Draco was at the happiest he had ever been in his life, Ginny walked around the school with a permanent grin fixed to her face, and all in all they were both extremely satisfied with their situation. They met every night now and pretty much picked up from where they left off… pretty much.

"But I'm ready I swear!"

"Ginny!" Draco replied laughing, "You can't force me into this! I want to make it special; do you really want your first time to be in an abandoned class room?"

"I suppose not." Ginny replied huffily, "But I do know I want my first time to be with you."

"I will make it really special, I promise." He said as he took her lovingly into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Well turning up this time would be a good start." She mumbled into his neck. Draco sniggered,

"I think I can definitely guarantee that."

"Good." She whispered and kissed him softly on the lips, he swiftly deepened the kiss and tasted her sweet mouth. Eventually the two of them parted and he murmured into her ear,

"You are addictive Ginevra Weasley."

Ginny winced at the use of the full first name and jabbed Draco in the ribs to show she was not amused. He simply sniggered.

Two weeks and he had not been summoned; this both pleased him and worried him. What was The Dark Lord planning? He would rather have been summoned and known of their plans than not at all, especially now he had Ginny to protect now. He didn't care about the others, leave Potter and the mudblood to their own fate, but he would not allow anything to happen to his Ginny. He knew something about a possible attack on Hogwarts but being a new intern he was not privy to any important information, and he could no longer count on his father who had not said much to him after that fateful summoning almost three weeks ago. He figured that if they truly were going to storm Hogwarts they would need his help as he was the only one who was an insider at Hogwarts. Still he tried to think about his new Lord as little as possible. All he wanted to do now was to find a way that he could convince Ginny to run away with him. He was sceptical about this plan, but still it pleased him to think of the two of them far away from this awful conflict, far away from harm together. Possibly somewhere warmer too… he was woken from his rambling thoughts by Ginny who prodded him in the ribs again.

"You know that still hurts."

She smiled sweetly and said,

"It's time we were leaving it's almost sunrise."

Grudgingly he stood and took her hand as he helped her up. Parting was always the worst part, second to that was having to pretend he didn't care for her in his every day life, but now it was simply too dangerous for their relationship to become public.

Still holding her hand he pulled her closer and kissed her, Ginny smiled, Draco pulled away,

"Now how do you expect me to kiss you good bye when you are grinning like that?"

"Well I have a plan, if you can not kiss me good bye then you just have to stay." Ginny said in a cheeky voice.

"I am shocked! All this time I thought I was the one leading you into dispute but it turns out that it is the other way round. Well if that is how you feel, we will stay here then when, say, your brother walks pass and sees us. You can take comfort in the fact that it was your fault that he's beating me up and all because you refused to kiss me goodbye" Draco joked

Ginny did not seem to take the joke as well as Draco did.

"Do you really think that would be what Ron would do if he found out about us?" Ginny asked,

"Do you not? We are talking about the same Ron are we not? He would kill me" Draco looked at Ginny's sad face and felt horrible at the thought that he was the cause of damping the moment.

"But I don't blame him, How could I? I have the same feelings of protectiveness over something as beautiful, priceless and exquisite as you."

As he said this brought Ginny close to him and swayed her back and forth. Ginny could not help but grin again and giggle.

"It's beyond me, Draco Malfoy, why someone like me, who as you say is well, wonderful beyond words, is doing well with, lets face it, a tramp like you?"

"Don't ask me, I am just a tramp, is it?"

Ginny nodded and kissed him,

"Oh now you give me my kiss" Draco teased,

"Beggers can not be chooses"

Draco laughed and signed "Well at least I can go to bed". He let out a huge yawn at which Ginny punched him affectionately. Draco grabbed her hand and led her to the portrait of the fat lady.

"Now don't let me catch you walking about this late again."

"Yes, Mr Draco sir." Ginny said with a mock solute.

"Laugh later you, and sleep now." Draco bent down and kissed her goodnight; he turned and walked towards the Slytherin common room. With what is fair to say more that a slight skip in his step.

The next morning both Draco and Ginny surprisingly were quite active and chirpy after their late night rendezvous and at lunch they could not help but make eyes at each other. Ginny sat not too far away from Ron and Hermione and noticed how different they acted around each other. Although they still were not together they were much more attentive to each other. Ron pulled out Hermione's chair and made sure she had everything that she wanted. They would just look into each others eyes and then it was like they would suddenly notice and look away and go red but it would not be long until they were back looking at each other. Ginny was not the only one to have noticed. Harry had done so also but he didn't want to say anything because he didn't want to jeopardise its progress and moreover because he had more important things on his mind. After the pain from his scar he didn't want to waste time. He went straight to Dumbledore the next morning, wanting to give enough notice to the Order if indeed Voldemort was getting stronger. Thoughts of what might be in store plagued his mind all day and night.

His concerns were not without conviction Voldemort was planning his next move carefully. He realised that the school was too well protected and so his planned moved to a more vulnerable location… Hogsmeade.

"… and then Bill stole my blanket while Charlie transformed my rattle into a spider, which sent Ron screaming out of the room! I laughed so hard! But mum was furious!"

Draco laughed at hearing about the Weasley's antics, he was beginning to warm up to Ginny's family, but it was only because of the warmth in which Ginny spoke about them to him. They obviously meant a lot to her.

"Well it's no wonder that that's your earliest memory! It sounds like a riot at your house."

Ginny smiled contentedly,

"Yes it is." She sighed, "So what about you? What's your earliest memory?"

Draco shuffled uncomfortably and said nothing.

"Come on," prodded Ginny gently, "you can tell me."

Suddenly Draco yelled in pain and instinctively grabbed his left arm. Ginny shocked and scared had never seen him being summoned before.

"What is it!" she asked concerned

"I am… being summoned." The jollity that once inhabited the room left as swiftly as water down a plug hole.

"Oh god Draco, are you going to be alright?"

He petted her hair softy with his hands a gesture he would never tire of, and hoped above hope that it wouldn't be the last time that he would have the opportunity to do it.

"I'll be fine. But I have to go now." He gave her a fleeting kiss as he left and tried to conceal his fear. He wasn't afraid for himself particularly; he'd lived a mainly useless life, now his only fear was of never seeing Ginny's beautiful face smiling at him ever again. He feared not being around to protect her. He feared her feeling pain. He would never let that happen.

"My master." Spoke Draco through his hood as he bowed low on his knees before the Dark Lord.

"Welcome back Draco, you are very punctual, like father, like son, I suppose."

"Yes my Lord. Thank you."

"A small job for you Draco, find out when the next Hogsmeade visit is and report back to me as soon as you have found it. This must be done swiftly, thought I trust your promptness. Do not fail me in this menial task, as small as it may seem it holds the key to a much greater plot." He paused for a moment before adding, "You may go."

"Yes thank you My Lord, I will not fail you." Draco replied.

"I hope not Draco, for your sake."


End file.
